Homage is a funny thing. The word can be used to describe anything from a subtle reference to another work to a complete rip-off. Maybe if the Red Hot Chili Peppers had announced �Dani California� as homage to Tom Petty they wouldn�t have come under such criticism. (I�m sure Kiedis and the boys are crying all the way to the bank.)

The Beach Boys, along with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, probably have more to complain about than Petty. Brian Wilson has been imitated by everyone from groups who have dedicated their careers to replicating their sound (High Llamas, The Wondermints) to those that simply wish to expand their sonic palette (everyone from The Beatles to Wilco). Clearly there is a fine line�sometimes a litigious line if Cat Stevens is involved�between paying tribute and stealing someone else�s song.

R.E.M. �At My Most Beautiful�

Now, R.E.M. is probably in my top five bands of all time; I believe them to be the best band of the 80s and one of the best bands of the 90s. Their work from Murmur to New Adventures in Hi-Fi, despite a few missteps, is unparalleled by any other group of their generation. Something happened when drummer Bill Berry left, though. While he was the one man in the group who seemed least essential, his absence left a massive, gaping hole from which they still haven�t recovered. And for some reason, instead of trying to fill that hole creatively, they became obsessed with Pet Sounds and decided to rip it off wholesale. It started with this track from Up.

I can see where they were going with this; �hey, lets have a Pet Sounds vibe on this one,� but as most of that album will prove to the discerning listener, the boys weren�t exactly at their songwriting peak, so instead they took the music from �God Only Knows,� slowed it down, maybe changed the key and had Michael Stipe sing a different vocal melody. It�s got the same string sections, vocal harmonizing breakdowns, and almost the exact same piano line�but I think the drum part may come from �Good Vibrations.� It�s not a bad song mind you; it�s an enjoyable listen and all�it�s just about as close to the Beach Boys classic as you can get without being taken to court. Hell, Brian Wilson could probably still take them to court, but he may still be smarting from that suit Chuck Berry filed to get sole writing credit for �Surfin USA.� Listen to their follow-up Reveal for even more Beach Boys aping.

J Mascis � �Take a Run at the Sun�

The last person you might expect to be able to make a viable Beach Boys homage would be the creaky voiced, distortion obsessed guitar hero from Dinosaur Jr.�but somehow he pulls it off effortlessly. Starting off with an intricate a capella harmony section, it quickly lunges into a surf guitar line backed by a theremin, probably the best instrument to use if you want to sound like the Beach Boys. But the theremin also brings with it some baggage; you�re basically comparing your song to �Good Vibrations.� Since Mascis was writing this song for the Grace of My Heart soundtrack�a love story about a Carole King type songwriter falling for the leader of a surf-rock band (Matt Dillon as a thinly disguised Brian Wilson)�he probably didn�t feel quite as constricted; he was supposed to be ripping off the Beach Boys.

The homage should be a fearless attempt to make a song that could possibly be proudly held against the work of the artist they�re honoring�no matter how difficult a task that may be. This is where R.E.M. went wrong�they were so humble in their attempt at a tribute that they were far too reverent to Wilson�s style.

And that�s the best part about �Sun� (and what separates it from �At My Most Beautiful�). It doesn�t sound like a Beach Boys song�it�s not something Brian Wilson ever would have written or recorded. It sounds like a J. Mascis song heavily influenced by some of the best elements of Wilson�s genius.

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